1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to line connected devices, and more particularly to methods for transferring data to update features in a line connected device.
2. Background of the Invention
Modern cordless telephones are evolving to include many features in addition to standard functionality for placing telephone calls. For instance, cordless telephones are now becoming available that enable users to adjust ring tone and graphics displays, and otherwise personalize the interface of the telephone. Users can make selections from lists of options stored in telephone memory to customize the telephone to each respective user's preferences.
Since cordless telephones have a limited memory capacity, only a finite number of selections are usually made available to a user for customization. In any event, no matter how many different possible options are available for selection from the memory of a telephone, users may be interested in choosing from still more options of different tunes, designs, etc. Since many consumers may be willing to purchase different selections if they were made available, a market is created for software upgrades for cordless telephones. By producing electronic devices that are upgradeable, companies can foster consumer goodwill and loyalty while still maintaining or improving profit margins.
Unfortunately, once a digital device such as a cordless telephone is released into the consumer market, it becomes very difficult to upgrade or update the telephone with new software or firmware. One obvious method for upgrading a telephone is to manually disassemble the telephone and replace the processor or memory, or temporarily remove the memory from the telephone to add new software. Of course, this method is not practical for the vast majority of consumers, who are unlikely to have the skills necessary to perform such tasks.
Even if a portable electronic device can be especially designed to enable software updates, this might not be cost effective if the benefits from including this functionality are outweighed by the associated additional costs of design and manufacture. Adding functionality to an electronic device involves additional computer architecture design, software programming, parts and components, which may be incrementally expensive. Further, regardless of the development costs, consumers will not utilize such a feature unless the steps that are necessary to update the device are relatively uncomplicated and easy to be performed. Since many portable electronic devices, such as cellular or cordless telephones, have somewhat small GUI displays with limited interfaces, this can be particularly challenging. Finally, the additional components that are necessary to enable the device to be upgraded must not overwhelm the existing physical size of the device or the spacing of other components within the device. Since, for example, cellular and cordless telephones are designed to be lightweight and comfortably hand-held, the weight and size associated with every component is always an important design consideration.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and system for transferring data to a cordless telephone to facilitate updating and upgrading the functionality of the device, and which is relatively easy to use and does not significantly contribute to the cost, size and weight of the device.